So, before I get onto the second chapter of Zireael ui Cerbin, I'd like to say that, after seeing the reviews, I decided to bite the bullet and buy Hogwarts Legacy. So far, so good. True, it's not wholly living up to the hype in some areas, but just the sheer amount of detail put into their Hogwarts is amazing, and the magical combat is looking good so far. Honestly, I am enjoying it, though time will tell how great it truly is, controversy aside.

ZIREAEL UI CERBIN

CHAPTER 2:

STRANDED

Despite the fact he was now stranded in another world, and one that had a medieval level of development, Harry's sleep was restful enough. Then again, he'd taken a Dreamless Sleep potion, so a restful night was guaranteed for now. He didn't need any nightmares, just rest. And in truth, he was still trying to come to terms with what had happened, what he had learned from the man calling himself Gaunter O'Dimm.

Three years. Three years was all it took for the veneer of gratitude Draco had to be scraped away, and for him to make a deal with a devil (or whatever the hell Gaunter O'Dimm was) to have Harry taken away. Then again, it wasn't like the three years since Voldemort's death were great ones. Oh, they had their ups, but they also had their downs.

Gaunter was right, damn him. The latest fight with Ginny had been a bad one, and their relationship was looking shaky. It didn't help that Ron and Hermione's relationship had sunk (albeit on considerably more amicable terms), and Molly kept trying to push Harry and Ginny together, out of some desperate desire to have him in the family. That had led to some rather nasty arguments, and while they could be reconciled, Harry didn't think he would ever get the chance now.

He was angry. He was on the verge of panic. But letting those overwhelm him would be counterproductive. Aside from Gaunter, and any help his friends back home could render, his only hope of getting back home was in this woman, this woman calling herself Ciri, and if she needed help…well, he would consider giving it to her. Gaunter claimed that she was like him in many regards, but he'd only just met her.

Still, when he made to emerge from the Expanded Trunk, he hesitated at the entrance. He opened it only slightly, and asked, "Ciri, are you decent?"

"Yes. It's not like I have much of a change of clothes while I'm on the road, anyway," the young woman said with a sarcastic lilt to her tone, her accent sounding rather like his own British accent. Then again, Gaunter did as well.

Harry opened up the lid all the way and climbed out, to find Ciri examining her sword. He had to admit, she was strikingly beautiful. Even the scar marring her left cheek (her left, not his) did little to hamper her beauty. Her eyes were green, a slightly paler green than his own, while her hair was so pale as to be white. Her body was lithe and slender, athletic, and yet beautiful. It didn't hurt that those leather trousers and that white shirt flattered her figure, and he tried not to stare.

Ciri then looked up at him, and stood. "Let's get the obvious bits out of the way. Gaunter told me that you come from Earth. This is my homeworld, but I have been to Earth a few times, in probably alternate timelines. One was in your past, during the time of King Arthur. Another was in Earth's future, though maybe not yours. If I can, I can take you back, but leaving aside what Gaunter might have done to prevent that, there's a problem."

"Yeah, you and Gaunter said something about the Wild Hunt?" Harry asked. "Except…how the hell did you end up on my world, in two different time periods?"

"…It's a very long story. The short version is…I was born with powers. Specifically, the power to travel across space and time, particularly space, though Avallac'h, my mentor, told me I can travel through time to a small degree, but only in travelling between worlds. Then again, those worlds may have been alternate timelines of your world."

Harry frowned. "Apparition?" he mused to himself. "No, that doesn't go between worlds, I thought." On her look, he said, "I can teleport between places, it's called Apparition. I can also create enchanted objects that transport people from place to place, called Portkeys. Both are rather uncomfortable."

Ciri peered at him, before shrugging. "If you say so. But while there are others who can travel between worlds, mine is so potent, I am being hunted down, by the Wild Hunt. You have legends of them on your own world, right?"

"…I vaguely recall Hermione bringing it to my attention," Harry said.

"The Wild Hunt is an elite group of the Aen Elle, a race of Elves who inhabit another world. They used to be used as raiders, stealing away other people for slaves, or hunting them for sport," Ciri said. "Not all of the Aen Elle are bad, but…they don't have a good opinion of humans. Then again, the Elves here, the Aen Seidhe…they are often on bad terms with humans, though the Aen Elle make them pale by comparison. They wish to use my abilities to invade this world."

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "…You're kidding, right? Evil Elves from another world are intending an alien invasion or something?"

"…Not all of them are evil, like I said, but many view humans and other sentient life here in the same way you and I would view livestock. And they don't care if I die in the process of opening a portal large enough for them to invade. I may be descended from Elven stock, but they despise impure blood."

"Oh joy, Death Eaters as Elves, that's fun," Harry said sarcastically.

"Death Eaters?" Ciri asked.

"Xenophobic wizards who wanted to enslave all non-wizards, or worse," Harry said. "That warlock Gaunter mentioned, Voldemort, was their leader."

"The one you fought?" Ciri asked. "I see. In any case, that is why I am on the run. The Wild Hunt pursues me, and I have contacts in Novigrad who may be able to help me. Unfortunately, I heard of the mage-burnings they are undertaking there."

"Why the hell are they doing that? Gaunter didn't see fit to enlighten me."

"…From what I know, the Church of the Eternal Flame has targeted mages and non-humans for years. But I heard from the men of the Bloody Baron that King Radovid has been pursuing and exterminating them in earnest, especially in Novigrad, ever since Philippa Eilhart, an…acquaintance of mine from when I was training with the Lodge of Sorceresses, had his father murdered, and intended to set Radovid up as a puppet king. So I have to wonder what Triss is doing here."

"Okay, so…I've got to be careful about showing magic around here. Good to know," Harry remarked sarcastically.

"I need Triss' help. With what, you don't need to know. I've not known you for even a day, and there is only so much I can trust you on such short acquaintance. Besides, you were left with me by that Gaunter man. He's certainly bad news."

Harry was irritated, but he could see her point. To him, she was a total stranger, and his experiences fighting Voldemort had left him wary at best, if not mildly paranoid. Not to Mad-Eye Moody levels, thankfully, but still…

"Well, should I come with you into Novigrad, then?"

Ciri nodded. "If nothing else, you can earn my trust there. Just don't do anything to betray that trust, or you'll live long enough to regret it."

"Likewise," Harry said, meeting her gaze levelly. He then indicated the window. "I'll leave through the window as a raven, avoid any awkward questions from the nosy. I'll change back in hiding and wait near the signpost next to the inn, okay? It's either that or use my Invisibility Cloak to follow you out, and that has its own issues."

"…Invisibility Cloak?" she asked, curious.

"…Long story…"

After Harry had left, Ciri went back to the innkeeper, buying a couple of meals and water, saying she needed to get to Novigrad in a hurry, and she had little time for breakfast. Thankfully, the innkeeper gave her no trouble, just the food in exchange for her coin. Some got too nosy, while others were, like this one, the soul of discretion, or at least gave the pretence.

She left the inn, and found him waiting at the sign, reading a book. She'd recognised it as a paperback, of a sort she had seen during her sojourn into his world's future. True, they weren't as common as the electronic ones, but not wholly uncommon.

She didn't recognise the title, though. "A Game of Thrones?" she asked.

"The TV show only just started when I was kidnapped by Gaunter," Harry said, closing the book and dropping it into a pocket of his coat. It seemed to disappear. "I mean, given what Gaunter said, I assume you know what television is?"

Ciri nodded, gesturing for him to follow her. "Of course. I've seen quite a lot of strange things on my travels. Advanced technology doesn't really phase me. Computers, firearms, cybernetics, artificial intelligences…I know what they are, even if I'd have a hard time explaining it to anyone else here. Medicine's actually fairly advanced here, more than you'd think. They understand genetics and physiology almost as well as your time does, at an estimate. I was actually trained by a group of people who had their genetics crudely modified so they could act as monster hunters known as Witchers."

Harry glanced at her. "…You what? In what looks like a world in the medieval era? How'd they manage that?"

"Magic and mutagens," Ciri said, shrugging. "I was lucky that I never had to endure the Trial of Grasses. However, in other regards, I would be considered a qualified Witcher, or near enough. Though I'm nowhere near as experienced as they are. Then again, the Trial of Grasses extends their lifespan. My Uncle Vesemir is over two centuries old, and you wouldn't think he was over sixty, while Geralt of Rivia, the closest thing I have to a father, is perhaps about a century old, give or take, but hair aside, you wouldn't think he was more than maybe forty or fifty at most."

"…You look about my age," Harry said.

"That's because I probably am. I am twenty, I think. Time and space travel messes up one's sense of time," Ciri said. "Still, enough of me. What of your life, Harry Potter? It's a short walk to Novigrad, true, and you'd need to stop when in earshot of anyone else listening, but if nothing else, I would like to know about your life."

Harry sighed. "Sure. I'll give you the Cliff Notes version, though." On her blank look, he clarified, "Abridged version, I mean…"

By the time they reached the gates of Novigrad, Harry had managed to give Ciri an abridged form of his life's story. But as he finished, he wrinkled his nose at the smell. It was bad enough in the Cunny of the Goose, but here? "Ugh, do these people have any sense of hygiene?"

"Some do, some don't. I thought I'd take us in via the Gate of the Hierarch. I'm not sure where this establishment Dandelion has bought is, but knowing him, it's a good place to start. Not too much of a dive, but not too upper class. The question is, how will we get in? There are guards checking all those who come in."

"Hopefully, I can solve that. A Notice Me Not charm. Difficult to learn. It doesn't make you invisible as much as irrelevant. Like an SEP field."

"SEP?"

"Somebody Else's Problem(1). I've got the work of Douglas Adams in my Expanded Trunk, you can read them if you want."

"…I hope it works. I'll trust you on this."

Harry carefully cast it on Ciri, and then himself. "Now, just don't do anything that would draw attention."

"I know how to avoid that."

They soon walked through the gate, and began walking on, only for Ciri to grab Harry's arm and point. "The Rosemary and Thyme!" she hissed, indicating a tavern that had seen better days. "And over there, in front of it…there's Zoltan!"

"Zoltan?" Harry asked.

"The Dwarf!" And with that, she hurried over, Harry following. "Zoltan!" she hissed.

Zoltan looked at Ciri, before doing a double-take in shock. He looked in many ways like the stereotypical fantasy Dwarf, stocky, short, and bearded, an axe on his back. But he had what looked somewhat like a mohawk. "Ciri? Bugger me sideways, you're here!"

Thankfully, the Dwarf, despite his surprise, kept his voice down. Ciri smiled at him. "I am indeed. Zoltan…is Dandelion in? Can we speak somewhere private?"

"Of course, my girl, of course!" Zoltan said, with warmth in his voice, though he glanced at Harry. "And who's this tagging along with you?"

"…Harry Potter. He's…not from around here. He's not a friend, though I hope he can prove to be one. For now, he needs the same thing as I do, a place to stay with friendly faces, ones who won't betray us to the Eternal Flame's lackies or Radovid's rabid hounds."

"You've come to the right place, my girl. And you, Harry Potter, was it? A plain name. I hope you turn out to be a friend, not just of Ciri, but of all of us."

At least the Dwarf wasn't looking at him quite as suspiciously as Ciri had been. True, Zoltan's gaze was appraising, but it was less wary. "Thanks. Wasn't happy about coming to a city filled with mage-hunters when I can use magic, but Ciri needed help. I was dumped on her lap by someone calling himself Gaunter O'Dimm."

"And who's that when he's at home?" Zoltan asked as they went inside.

"Dangerous," Ciri said grimly.

Zoltan looked to her, noted her serious expression, and asked, "How dangerous?"

"…He could stop time at will, save for myself and Harry, and himself…just so he could have a conversation, and amuse himself with a prank. What kind of being wastes such a potent power on something so trivial?" Ciri said.

"…Fuck," Zoltan said succinctly after a brief pause. "What is he? Wizard? Demon? Djinn?"

"Or worse," Harry said.

"Zoltan, I need to know…have you tidings of Geralt or Uncle Vesemir? Perhaps Yennefer? Gaunter claimed Triss is somewhere in the city," Ciri said. "I need to contact her on a matter of some urgency."

"Triss is in town? First I'd have heard of it," Zoltan said. "I've seen wanted posters of her all over the place, I wouldn't have thought she would've come here, right into the hornets' nest. Still, there's only so many places she could lay low here. I'll make a few discreet enquiries. As for the others…well, I heard tales that Geralt and Vesemir are somewhere in Temeria, riding together. As for Yennefer, well, there's some rumours here and there, but nothing substantial. Still, where the bloody hell have you been, girl? I heard you can hop between worlds, but where were you prior to that?"

"…I arrived in Skellige with an associate some time ago, but I was forced to flee," Ciri confessed. "From the Wild Hunt. I ended up in Velen, and, well, one thing led to another."

"The Wild Hunt? Fuck, that's…well, never mind that, Ciri. You're safe here, at least for now. And for a given value of safe, anyway."

"Safe? What do you mean, Zoltan?" asked a rather foppish-sounding voice coming from the stairs of the dilapidated tavern. The man who descended was in rich lilac clothes, complete with a feathered hat. His features were delicate and effete, with a small moustache and a soul patch. And yet, when he saw Ciri, his eyes widened. "Ciri?" he whispered.

"Uncle Dandelion!" Ciri exclaimed, embracing the foppish man.

Harry looked to Zoltan. "What kind of name is Dandelion?"

"It's his…what do bards and minstrels like him call them? Nom de plume. His real name is the Viscount Julian Alfred Pankratz."

"…I'm not bowing," Harry snarked.

"The only bow I would accept from you, my good sir, is in respect to my prowess with the written and spoken word, and I would prefer standard applause," Dandelion said, having overheard Harry's snark. "Ciri, who is this?"

"I'm Harry Potter, I'm a wizard from another world, and I've been dropped in the deep end thanks to the local equivalent of Nyarlathotep," Harry retorted. "I've only just met her, so I'm tagging along."

Dandelion looked to Ciri, who shrugged, and Zoltan, who did the same thing. Dandelion looked to him. "The thing is, I have heard stranger things. Indeed, I have experienced them on my adventures with Geralt. Still, for now, as Ciri's…travelling companion? My house is your house, my good sir. But Ciri, I'd like to hear about your travels…and your current troubles…"

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Ciri and Harry have made it to Novigrad.

Now, keep in mind, there's mutual distrust and wariness, but not without reason. Ciri has been on the run for a long time, and having Gaunter O'Dimm dump Harry on her hasn't helped. Harry, of course, has been torn away from everything he holds dear. Eventually, they'll grow out of their distrust and wariness.

1. Harry is specifically referring to the SEP Field mentioned in the third Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy book, Life, the Universe, and Everything, which itself was retooled from an unused Doctor Who story by Douglas Adams, Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen. Said script was adapted and published as a novel recently.